Head coach Jeff McInerney has announced the addition of Brian
Picucci to the Central Connecticut football coaching staff for the
2013 season. Picucci arrives in New Britain with 15 years of
collegiate coaching experience, including 14 seasons at the
Division I level. He will work with the Blue Devil offense
this season, specifically with Central’s offensive line.

Picucci served two stints on the coaching staff at the
University of Massachusetts. His second stint with the
Minutemen began in 2004, when he return to the school to serve as
the running game coordinatior and offensive line coach.
Picucci held that position for five seasons before being promoted
to offensive coordinator for the 2009 season, a position he held
for three seasons, while still maintaining coaching
responsibilities for the offensive line.

During Picucci’s tenure the UMass offensive line was
stellar often ranking among the national leaders in sacks
allowed. The 2008 season featured a particularly impressive
group that allowed just six sacks in 12 games. In 2006,
Picucci had four of his five starting offensive linemen earn
all-conference honors as the Minutemen finished as the FCS national
runner-up.

As the offensive coordinator, he led a Minutemen offense that
ranked fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association in scoring
offense in 2009. In his second season as OC, Picucci’s
offense ranked first in the CAA in total offense (413.1 yrds/game)
and passing offense (244.7 yrds/game), as well as being the third
ranked scoring offense in the league.

Picucci’s first stint with the Minutemen was from
1998-99. In 1998, he served as a graduate assistant/offensive
line coach and in 1999 he flipped over to the defensive side of the
ball to coach defensive tackles and linebackers.

During his 10 total seasons with UMass, the Minutemen won four
conference championships, made four NCAA Tournament appearances,
reached the NCAA Championship Game on two occasions, including in
1998 when the team won the school’s first National
Championship in football.

Between his two terms with UMass, Picucci spent four seasons at
Northeastern University (2000-03). He coached the offensive
line all four seasons with the Huskies and added running game
coordinator duties for his final two seasons. Northeast won a
share of the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship and reached the
NCAA I-AA Playoffs in 2002.

Picucci also served three seasons (1995-97) as the offensive
coordinator at Bristol Central High School. His first
coaching position following college came as tight ends coach at
Southern Connecticut State University in 1994.

A 1994 graduate of Syracuse University, Picucci was a three-year
letterwinner for the Orangemen. He played fullback for his first
three seasons at Syracuse, before starting at tight end in his
senior year. Picucci was a member of four victorious bowl teams
during his undergraduate career (1989 Peach, 1990 Aloha, 1991 Hall
of Fame and 1992 Fiesta).